Laurent Cantet – France – 2002

'Être et Avoir’ is a fly-on-the-wall documentary about a single-class French village school which is situated in a remote Auvergne farming community. Only 200 people live in the small village that has one school. The dozen-or-so pupils – boys and girls whose ages range from four to ten – are all taught by the same remarkably dedicated and caring teacher Georges Lopez. He teaches the children the basics of reading, writing, and mathematics but organizes also more playful activities - such as baking pancakes, tobogganing in the snow, and picnicking in the summer fields.

Peter Bradshaw (The Guardian) wrote about ‘Être et Avoir’: “This thoroughly delightful documentary has a miraculous simplicity and clarity - and yet displays its own deeply intelligent sort of sophistication.” The film was nominated for the ‘Out of Competition’ section at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival and was a big success in France. 

Duration: 104 minutes
Language: French (English subtitles)